Mooseheads, Screaming Eagles open Q league playoffs tonight

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs have arrived.

For many hockey fans, this is considered to be the best time of year.

There are seven games tonight, with the Halifax Mooseheads and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles both playing their first games.

Halifax vs. Baie-Comeau

These two teams have a nasty playoff history.

For the Mooseheads to win the series, they will need their star players performing at their best.

Czech forward Filip Zadina had a tremendous season for Halifax, with 44 goals in only 57 games, and many scouts have him tabbed to go second overall in the upcoming National Hockey League draft.

This is Maxime Fortier's last playoff run with Halifax and the veteran will be playing against his younger brother, Gabriel.

Halifax finished 4th overall in the regular season and are the favourites to take the series against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, seeded 13th.

Cape Breton vs. Drummondville

The second half of this year's season was not good for Cape Breton.

The Screaming Eagles traded away Team Canada world junior hero Drake Batherson at mid-season and that led to their slow descent down the league standings.

Drummondville finished 20 points higher than Cape Breton and will have home ice advantage for the series.

A Screaming Eagles series win would be a big upset.

Steele Subaru claims N.S. major midget title

Dartmouth Steele Subaru won the Nova Scotia Major Midget title this week as they took out their crosstown rivals.

Dartmouth beat the Halifax Macs three games to one and will now be the province's representative at the Atlantic Major Midget tournament, beginning March 29 at the East Hants Sportsplex in Lantz.

Ozzie King of Cow Bay has been Steele Subaru's top scorer in the playoffs, with 19 points in 13 games.

In the league semi-final, Dartmouth beat the defending national champion Cape Breton West Islanders in a hard-fought series.

The Cole Harbour Wolfpack will be the host team at Atlantics.

SEDMHA tournament

One of the biggest minor hockey tournaments in North America has begun.

The Novice Jamboree division of the 41st annual SEDMHA tournament is being played this weekend, with the bulk of the tournament slated for next weekend. Virtually every rink in the Halifax area will be used during the event.

The tournament marks the end of the minor hockey season for players in Nova Scotia.

MacKinnon remains hot

Cole Harbour star Nathan MacKinnon is continuing his torrid pace with the Colorado Avalanche.

The 22-year-old, now in his 5th NHL season, is pushing hard to take over the NHL scoring lead as the Avalanche aims to grab a playoff spot.

Last year Colorado was by far the worst team in the NHL and MacKinnon will likely be a contender for league MVP honours if his team makes the post-season.

MacKinnon has led the league with 11 game-winning goals this year.